Porsche suspends ties with tennis star Sharapova

Porsche on Tuesday suspended ties with Maria Sharapova, the Russian tennis star who admitted Monday that she failed a drugs test and faces a ban from the sport.

The German luxury carmaker did not want its image tainted by association with Sharapova, a winner of five Grand Slam titles and former world number one. Porsche is part of the Volkswagen group, which was hit by scandal last year when it was found to have cheated on emissions tests.

Major sponsors have been lining up to distance themselves from Sharapova after she admitted taking meldonium, which is used to treat ischaemia: a lack of blood flow to parts of the body. As well as Porsche, Nike has suspended its relationship with the star, while Tag Heuer has cut its ties.

“We regret the news about Maria Sharapova. Until more details are known and we can analyze the situation, we have decided to suspend planned activities (with her),” said Porsche in a statement.

The Russian tennis star has been a brand ambassador for the German car company since April 2013. The deal was to have expired in April.